February 14, 2008 - Serving staff in bars and restaurants could well be passively (ETS, secondhand, involuntary) smoking the equivalent of up to 38 cigarettes a day, a study has found. The report, released by the Valais Anti-Smoking Centre, is said to be one of the first of its kind to quantify the effects of inhaling second-hand smoke. Researchers gave out to the public 1,500 special nicotine-measuring devices in badge form at the beginning of 2007; 630 were given back six months later. It was found that almost all the badge wearers, aged from three months to 82 years old, were subject to second-hand smoke. The most badly affected were serving staff - inhaling the equivalent of 15 to 38 cigarettes per day, depending on their place of work. 5.7 per cent were barely affected and the rest were subjected to the equivalent of one to more than ten cigarettes a day. The results of the study have been published in the Swiss Medical Review. ( High incidence of passive smoking found.., swissinfo.ch, 2/13/2008) Some related news briefs: Acute asthma death associated with work-related ETS.., WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008.. and Congratulations to Richard H. Carmona, M.D., MPH,. Click on image to enlarge..Read more...

February 13, 2008 - When Marlboro SNUS first arrived, it seemed very expensive, but now there are deep discounts and price promotions. A lot of the promotion has been in conjunction with Marlboro cigarettes – promotional signs on cigarette displays, samples of snus and coupons in cigarette packs, etc. Sales reportedly are not going well. The product is not appealing to traditional dippers. Smokers tend to not like it, but some say they are ordering true Swedish SNUS on the Internet. Some say they are using it to quit cigarettes. Others who have tried snus say they prefer Camel and the refrigeration for that product gives it a better flavor. A few stores in the Dallas area are now selling Camel Snus. In East Texas Camel Snus is showing up in the Nacogdoches area. A teenager indicated that his peers love it because they can use it “under the radar” without anyone knowing – which all tobacco control professionals have suspected since this stuff was first introduced. Some store clerks didn’t even know it is a tobacco product and were unaware that they could not sell it to minors – they thought they were breath mints or something. - Many thanks to Darah Waldrip and Betty Boenisch, Tobacco Prevention and Control, Texas Department of State Health Services. Some related news briefs: With organic (internal) development in the smokeless tobacco arena failing look for Philip Morris USA to expand through acquisitions.. and Marlboro MST / Marlboro SNUS - Philip Morris USA (PM) Trying to Paint a Rosie Picture..Click on image to enlarge..Read more...

February 12, 2008 - A young asthmatic woman who collapsed and died shortly after arriving for her shift as a waitress at a bar may be the first reported death to be reported nationally from acute asthma associated with environmental tobacco smoke (ETS, second hand smoke, passive smoking, involuntary smoking). The case report (Am J Ind Med 51:111-116,2008) states the woman arrived at the bar in Michigan and, according to co-workers, seemed happy and healthy. About 15 or 20 minutes later she collapsed and within a few minutes died. "This is the first reported acute asthma death associated with work-related ETS," said Kenneth Rosenman, a Michigan State University professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. "Recent studies of air quality and asthma among bar and restaurant workers before and after smoking bans support this association."This death dramatizes the need to enact legal protections for workers in the hospitality industry from secondhand smoke." We have federal laws that say employers have to provide a safe and healthy workplace. This was clearly not a safe and healthy workplace for this employee. "This death dramatizes the need to enact legal protections for workers in the hospitality industry from secondhand smoke." In the United States, 23 states have already banned smoking in restaurants and bars. A number of other states, including Michigan are considering it. "Consider that 75 percent of the population doesn't smoke," he said. "Banning smoking could actually serve to increase business. Studies of restaurants and bars in Boston, New York City, San Francisco and Washington D.C. all show business up since they banned smoking. Chicago went smoke free the beginning of this year." (First reported acute asthma death associated with work-related environmental tobacco smoke, News-Medical.Net, 2/11/2008) Some related news briefs: When a parent brings a child into this world they want the child be healthy and to live a happy and enjoyable life.., Banning tobacco smoking in public places is a public health issue and not a property rights or business rights issue.. and For your pet's sake, keep your home and car tobacco-free...

February 12, 2008 - Italy's 2005 smoking ban has led to a sharp fall in heart attacks, researchers reported in a finding they said shows that such laws really do improve public health. Following the ban the number of heart attacks in men and women aged 35-64 -- people most likely to be exposed to smoke in cafes, bars and restaurants -- fell 11 percent, the researchers said.The findings showed the health benefits of European smoking bans in public places, said Francesco Forastiere, an epidemiologist at the Rome Health Authority who led the study. "Most of this change is due to the decreased impact of passive smoke," he said in a telephone interview. "This is ... important because it shows the impact of a health intervention that can be achieved in other countries."

The ban in Italy, where the researchers said about 30 percent of men and 20 percent of women smoke, prohibited smoking cigarettes in all indoor public places such as offices, retail shops, restaurants, pubs and discos.

The researchers compared the rate of heart attacks from 2000 to 2004 to those occurring in the year after the ban was enforced. The team analyzed hospital records and adjusted for heat waves, flu epidemics, air pollution and other factors that could have contributed to heart attacks. The researchers also took daily measurements on air quality in 40 public places.

After the ban, cigarette sales also fell 5.5 percent but the researchers attributed the health benefits seen in the study to reduced exposure to passive smoke. They said young men and women living in poorer areas appeared to have the greatest health benefit after the ban.

February 12, 2008 - More on Philip Morris International of the Future.. When Altria's international cigarette unit (PMI) gets its independence on March 28, 2008, it will move quickly to pursue sales more aggressively without ties to its American counterpart. Lausanne, Switzerland-based Philip Morris International has said that it would rank as the biggest non-governmental cigarette maker in the world, behind the state-owned China National Tobacco. The separation could shield PMI from U.S. legal and public relations issues, such as pressure by antismoking groups to curb sales in developing countries and a U.S. court decision in the so-called Kessler case that says PMI cannot use the "light" and "low-tar" labels to market cigarettes. Philip Morris International, which has operations in 160 countries, has a slew of tobacco products ready to take advantage of growth in emerging markets. It is selling the shorter Marlboro Intense in Turkey; a clove-based cigarette called Marlboro Mix 9 in Indonesia; Marlboro Filter Plus in South Korea, Russia, Kazakhstan, Romania and Ukraine; and the thicker Marlboro Wides in Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, France, Japan and Mexico. In Hong Kong, it is selling Marlboro Fresh Mint and Marlboro Crisp Mint. Philip Morris International reported 2007 gross revenue of $55.1 billion, compared PMUSA's $18.49 billion. Some related news briefs: January 24, 2008, December 10, 2007 and September 28, 2007. Read more...

February 11, 2008 - Just ask Philip Morris(PM) executives and they'll tell you that the company strives to be socially responsible. The Chairman and CEO of PM USA Michael E. Szymanczyk will tell you that his company is involved in a number of tobacco prevention activities. They even have introduced programs to help smokers who decide to quit be more successful. Mr. Szymanczyk, "While this may seem counterintuitive to some, we are focused on ensuring that consumers who interact with our company have a great experience, including when they decide to quit smoking. The evidence indicates that many of our consumers will, at some point, decide to stop using our products. We want to be there to help them succeed when they make that decision with the launch of the QuitAssist initiative."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 70 percent of smokers want to quit. So why isn't PM helping these people free themselves of a life of tobacco and nicotine dependence?? Instead PM is rewarding adult smokers for their loyalty to Marlboro cigarettes by providing unique experiences for these smokers. The experiences range from trips to experience Marlboro Country, a trip to Crazy Mountain Ranch in Montana, to getting behind the wheel at the Marlboro Racing School, or having an opportunity to ride shotgun with a pro-driver or to be invited with tens of thousands of other smokers to go out to your local race track as guests to see Marlboro Team Penske compete in the Indy Racing League. All, of these efforts have helped contribute to the retaining of market share by Marlboro - the world's most popular cigarette. For every 100 cigarette customers in the U.S. approximately 41 (for hispanic smokers this figure is close to 50) of these smokers will ask for Marlboro cigarettes. Philip Morris Looks to the Future, March/April 2007 Image - For its 50th anniversary, Marlboro introduced a new version of its Reds and Light cigarettes – the “72’s”. These shortened cigarettes come in smaller more metallic looking packs and are currently promoted as the anniversary packs of Marlboro’s 50th celebration. Philip Morris began shipping the 72’s in January 2005. Marlboro Turns 50 (TobaccoWatch.org)

February 11, 2008 - Congratulations.. Thailand Joins Developed World With Total Ban On Smoking.. Thailand will extend its ban on smoking to air-conditioned bars and offices and outdoor markets next month, joining major developed countries in a war on tobacco, a leading Thai anti-smoking agency said on Friday. Smokers faced a 2,000 baht ($60) fine and owners who fail to enforce the law could be fined 20,000 baht ($600) after the ban takes effect on February 17, said the Thailand Health Promotion Institute, which helped push for the law. The smokefree law passed in November 2002 banned smoking in covered indoor public places, including air-conditioned restaurants but exempted nightclubs and bars. The Health Ministry ban could face opposition from some bar owners, group president Hatai Chitanondh said in a statement. "They may be thinking the Health Ministry is ruining their business, kicking away their customers, but our research papers show a smoking ban will bring more customers to them," Hatai said. The ban’s extension is being hailed by health advocates who say it is another milestone for tobacco control. Related News Brief: Thailand Discouraging Tobacco Use - Horrific Images on the Packaging.. Click on image to enlarge..Read more...